


Commander Sexy

by Sheridans_Vampire



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV), QTWD, The 100 (TV), queer the walking dead
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:12:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7442284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheridans_Vampire/pseuds/Sheridans_Vampire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alicia Clark is the daughter of a rather high class rich household. Her brother Mark decides to throw a Halloween party at the local strip club, hoping that their parents, who are away on business trip do not find out. Alicia is invited. Before the party she meets a beautiful stranger in a costume shop, what happens when they meet for a second time, in a different circumstance?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Alicia's POV

I gulped as I looked around the venue, the place was dimly lit and people were pinning cobwebs, skeletons and just about anything vaguely spooky all over the walls and in the booths, decorating the poles with a pumpkin wrap.This was so very Mark it was unbelievable.

I noticed him standing over by the bar, draping it with decorations when suddenly he spotted me. "Sis you made it! I didn't even think you'd come through the doors." He shouted from across the room before running over and pulling me into a bear hug.

"Our parents give you a ton of money for a respectable Halloween party at a local bar and you decide on a strip club! Can you imagine if they find out! Not only will they be pissed but their reputation as a respectable wealthy family would be in shreds!" I hiss at him, motioning around the building.

"Lighten up a bit, I've got us covered, they think it's at the sports hall, we'll be fine. Plus everyone I've invited thinks it's hosted by my friend Alex. It's not like they can turn up anyway." He says running a hand through his hair and flashing a dorky grin

I smile at him a bit, it is true, our parents are out on business trip so they can't really crash the party. "Fine, I trust you with this, just make sure it doesn't get too out of hand." I say giving him a look.

He puts his hands up in a surrendering motion and laughs. "Does this mean you're coming?" He asks.

"Hmm well.... It's not really my sort of thing so I'm gonna give it a pass I think." I say sheepishly.

"Come on! It'll be fun, you don't even have to get a stripper just go to the dance floor, have a few drinks and loosen up." He almost pleads. "Heck knows you need to." He adds.

I reluctantly give in. "Okay I'll be there."

"I'll see you tonight then sis! Don't forget a costume." He shouts before jogging back to the bar and helping with the finishing touches. I roll my eyes and get in the car, quickly searching for the nearest fancy dress store, propping the phone up on the dashboard and letting it direct me to the shop.

The store was bigger than I expected when I got there, which made it even harder to choose an outfit, money was no object but I didn't know what on earth I was going to be. I strolled through isle upon isle of costumes, none quite catching my eye yet until I came across one outfit I couldn't take my eyes off.

"Well hello commander sexy." I hear a voice behind me and turn to see who it is.

I can only let out a series of stutters as I come face to face with a gorgeous blonde, she was so out of place amongst the colourful costumes, with her grey shirt, ripped black jeans, black combat boots and shades.

"Maybe you should be a zombie judging from the noises you're making there." She says in a thick Aussie accent, smirking.

"Uh yeah maybe I should I mean this costume is a bit revealing and I-" I start to ramble, blushing a probably intense shade of red.

"No I think this one would perfectly suit you." She teases and reaches up to unhook the costume before giving it to me. I reach into my poker hastily and pull out a few notes and hand them to her.

"Keep the change." I squeak, rushing out the door but not before I hear her shout after me.

"May we meet again commander sexy."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its the night of the halloween party! Alicia almost doesn't go but when she finally gets there she's glad she made the effort as she bumps into a familiar face.

Alicia's POV

I give myself a once over in the mirror. The costume looks good especially matched with the makeshift war paint I'd done with some black eyeshadow, I was quite impressed with my efforts. I braided my hair to go along with the post apocalyptic warrior theme and put some brown boots on. I blush when my eyes caught on the name tag of the costume.

"Commander Sexy."

I internally cringe when I realise the woman at the shop was only saying the name of the outfit, not addressing me with the nickname. How could I have been that stupid not to see that it was the damn costume name, I was too distracted by her. Not that she was anything but cocky and self assured. My thoughts were cut off by the annoying sound of my phone in my back pocket

"Hey, the party has started! Where are you?" Marks voice buzzed and there was the faint sounds of pounding bass and laughter in the background.

"I'm just leaving I'll be there in five." I tell him, quickly grabbing my keys and some money and rushing out to my car. As soon as I hang up I throw the small smart car down the street, driving as fast as it can go legally and enjoying the freedom of seeing the lights fly past and the city become a blur. When I pull up outside the club my stomach does a backflip. Parties are not my thing, neither are strip clubs. My gut is telling me to turn around and run, but as soon as I walk through the the door Mark had already spotted me and is pushing through the crowds to get to me. There was no escape now.

"Cool costume sis!" Mark shouts over the music.

"How many people did you invite!" I yell back looking around. It seems like the whole town is here.

"Anonymous invites to all the locals, don't worry nobody really cares who hosted this." He assures me , grabbing my arm and dragging me towards the bar, pouring me a drink and then disappearing into the crowd. I attempt to shout after him but my calls are lost in the deafening music. Sighing, I pick up my drink of god knows what and go to one of the empty round tables. Curiosity gets the better of me when I see the leather bound, blue 'menus' on the white table cloths. I open it but before I can even think to look at the script In front of me a familiar voice pulls my attention.

"Well hello commander sexy, I was completely right about the outfit suiting you." It was the woman from the shop, dressed as a vampire. Again I was lost for words, her piercing blue eyes stared into mine with a playful glint. I couldn't quite tell if they were contacts or not, I searched my memory to see if I could remember if her eyes were this blue before, but she was wearing shades.

"I really didn't expect you to be into that sorta stuff." She says with a smirk motioning at the menu I still had clutched in my hands.

I look down and read the long list of names such as, cherry pop and kitty girl before I realise what the menu was for, I drop it hastily "No this isn't my thing - I really didn't understand what it was- thought it was food menu-oh God this isn't what it looks like-" I babble but she just laughs.

"Mhm I caught you red handed, see anyone you like?" She teases and I blush a further shade of red.

"No I really-strippers aren't my thing- why would I want a female stripper- I just-" I stutter and she laughs even harder.

"I'm just teasing, calm down! Although if you wanted recommendations cherry pop is a minx." She adds with a wink.

"Oh have you um..." I start motioning to the menu.

"I have a night job here actually." She explains

"Oh! Wow... So um are you working now?" I ask, trying not to sound too awkward.

"Why, you interested?" She says in her thick Aussie accent, I am about to start aggressively denying it when she cuts me off again with more laughter.  
"Calm down a bit would ya? Maybe you need another drink." She stands up and walks to the bar, I follow. When I get there she hands me a drink.

"Thanks, what is this?" I inspect the small glass she's handed to me.

"A shot." She says downing hers in one go and picking up another. I don't want to be behind so I attempt doing the shot, the harsh alcohol chokes me and I try to hide my splutters. When I pick up the second one she raises her eyebrow.

"Together?" I ask

"Together." She nods and we gulp back the shots.

After about a minute the shot kicks in a bit and I'm pretty buzzed, the blonde beside me seems quite unaffected. We do 2 more shots and talk for a few minutes, it's mainly small talk like 'where are you from?' And 'what do you do for fun.' But I really enjoy her company and I feel like I've started to make a friend.

"So what's your stripper name?" My drunk self decides to ask.

"Getting bold are we?" She laughs. "Would you like to know so that later we-" her sentence is cut short by a burly man walking towards us, yelling over the music.

"Lex! I need you in room 3 now, there is a customer who's paid good money for a blonde and you're the only one we've got." She says grabbing her harshly by the arm.

"Dude It's my day off!" She tries to protest but he starts to pull her away. "Sorry commander sexy, I'll catch up with you later." She looks genuinely disappointed and my stomach twists with an unfamiliar feeling.

I try just awkwardly standing at the bar, there are people grinding on each other in every corner, and every so often I get a glimpse of two people getting a little to intimate for public viewing so I do another shot to try and distract myself. The shot works a bit too well and all of a sudden my thoughts have wandered to 'I wonder where room 3 is?'

All rational sense in my mind has been drowned out by the alcohol, and I try pushing my way through the crowds, looking for room 3 and the Aussie girl I was with earlier.

I find the curtained off room and dawdle outside. When I hear the familiar voice say 'hey get off!' I decide that I need to be in there and quickly dart inside.

The blonde girl looks exceedingly confused and surprised, she is sitting in a slumped, rather drunk, teenage boys lap and it makes me uncomfortable.

"Times up!" I try and say confidently without slurring, luckily the guy believes it and slinks out. "Did he hurt you?" I ask sitting next to her.

"No, just broke the no touching rule." She says with a small smile, the playful glint in her eye returning. "You know we have to stay in here so my boss doesn't know we cut it short." She says.

"Oh right ok." I say and shuffle my feet, head spinning slightly.

"Want another drink?" She asks motioning to the bucket of different liquors. Stupidly I take the drink, I've never been great with handling my alcohol and after a few minutes it starts to show.

Elyza's POV

"Hey are you ok?" I probably shouldn't have offered the girl another drink, but I wasn't sure what else to do, now she seemed a bit of a mess, her costume was falling off her shoulders and she had smudged her makeup down her face. It was cute, but I was worried about her.

"Wow!" She suddenly gasps

What?" I reply, completely confused as to what this girl could find so amazing.

"The ceilings in here move!" She utters in awe. She certainly isn't ok.

"No they don't, honey do you feel ok?" I try again and put my hand on her back.

"I think so, my head doesn't feel all that great though." She sighs.

"I think you should go home, do you want me to get you a cab." I pull my phone out when she nods. I ask for a taxi and rub her back until it arrives, then I walk her outside.

"Aren't you coming?" She asks pouting when she sees I'm not following her into the cab. Suddenly she lurches backwards as almost falls but I catch her.

"Yep I'm coming it's ok." I decide that this girl cannot go on her own.

She manages to tell the driver where she lives and on the way to her house falls asleep, she looks so innocent and her mouth is slightly open, I'm pretty sure she's drooling on me but it's sorta cute. When we pull up I wake her up and walk her to her door, I am about to leave when again she begins to stumble and I end up walking her to her room.

I didn't really appreciate how huge her house was from the outside but as soon as I stepped in it became obvious. There was fancy wallpaper, gold chandeliers and a grand staircase that I had to half drag the drunk girl up. Her room was bigger than my apartment living room and had a kingsize double bed.

"I don't feel good." She says sitting on her bed. I look around her room and see a glass cabinet and get her some water. She thanks me and drinks the whole glass so I get her another one.

"Here why don't we have a drink in the bathroom?" I say standing her up and leading her towards her ensuite.

"That's odd, why would you drink in the bathroom?" She slurrs and I sit her next to the toilet before handing her the drink. She drinks the entire glass and then proceeds to throw up, I hold her hair back. After 2 more glasses she seems to have flushed most of it out of her system and once I had taken the glasses to the sink and come back, she was asleep with her head on the toilet. 

"Come on commander, let's get you to your bed." I say helping her stand up, she hugs me.

"Thank you." She whispers. I lead her to the bed and turn around as she puts on pyjamas.

"Are you okay now?" I ask

"Yeah, thanks again." She replies, getting into bed.

"I'll see you around?" I say opening the door.

"You can stay if you want, it's late." She blurts out.

"Are you sure?" I ask but she throws me some pyjamas and nods. When I have finished putting them on I awkwardly stand by the bed, she pats the side of the bed and I crawl in timidly. The lights go off and everything goes silent.

"Oh yeah what's your name, I forgot to ask?" She whispers.

"Elyza, Elyza Lex. And you?"

"Alicia Clark." She responds smiling. I flash her a grin back.

"Good night Elyza." She says.

"Night Alicia." I respond and roll over. I smile to myself when minutes later I feel a body press up against my back and hear soft snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't really think of a good summary, but Elyza and Alicia spend the day together after being very drunk the night before.

Elyza's POV

My head spins slightly as I start to sit up, I realise I am in an unfamiliar room, someone else's house, but the instinctual panic I first feel subsides when I hear weak gagging noises coming from the next room and the memories from last night come flooding back. Quietly I approach the bathroom to see the brunette girl dry heaving over the toilet.

"Hey hey, relax, would you like me to get you some water." I try to comfort her, placing my hand gently on her back and feeling her shaking.

She looks up at me, her emerald eyes are bloodshot. "I don't think I've ever been this hungover in my life." She stutters between heaves with a weak smile. I grab a glass and fill it with water from the tap, she whispers a thank you as I hand it to her. I sit next to her on the cold tiled floor and rub circles onto her back, hoping that I am not overstepping my boundaries but she visibly relaxes slightly and leans into my hand.

"You feel a bit better now love?" I ask when her shaking has stopped.

"Yeah a bit, thanks for helping me." She says looking shyly at the floor, a cute rose colour gracing her cheeks.

"No problem princess, are you going to be okay now?" I start to stand up, I've probably overstayed my welcome already, Alicia appears to be better, something deep in my stomach tugs at the thought of leaving her. An unreadable expression flashes across the emerald eyes.

"Oh um, yeah I'll be okay, would you like to stay for breakfast, it's the least I could do!" She blurts out grabbing my wrist and standing up too.

I give her a small smile, she grins back. I can't fight the sick feeling in my stomach. Alicia is beautiful, there's no doubting that, but so are the other girls that I've been with and it was so easy to up and leave. The thought of leaving right now doesn't settle well.

"If you want me to?" I respond, she nods violently and leads me down the kitchen.

We pad down the grand staircase, I trail my finger over the gold leaf handrail and fully admire just how ornate the house is. We arrive at the kitchen and he throws the fridge open and stares into it before slamming it shut and doing the same with another two cupboards.

"My idiot of a brother must have taken all of the food for his stupid party!" She yells exasperatedly ad sits at the island counter in the center of the kitchen with a huff her expression a mix between anger and despair

"How 'bout a quick shopping trip?" I suggest quickly before I can dispell the idea. The grin she returns me is too much to bear.

"That sounds nice, but my car is still outside the club, and I probably need a shower." She mumbles disappointedly. For some reason I can't leave it there as decide that I have to try and make it work.

"Well I only live a block or two away and I have a bike we could use." Her face lights up again as soon as I say it.

"Sounds great! I'll quickly shower, the guest bedroom is across the hall if you want one... Not that I'm saying you need one or-" she starts to ramble but I stop her, laughing. Scarlet crawls up her cheeks and she hastily walks up the stairs and I follow behind and into the guest bedroom.

Alicia's POV

Slamming the door to my bedroom closed I allow myself to breathe out and slump against the wood of the door. My head still pounds slightly and I ache however the only thing occupying my mind is the Aussie blonde in the room across. Ever since I met her at the fancy dress shop I couldn't shake the feeling that I had met her before, and that after the initial meeting, I'd be seeing her again. I can't tell what it is about her but something makes me feel warm inside, like stepping into your home after a cold winters day, she's stunningly gorgeous and her eyes hold the depth of the ocean. The sensation of her hand on my back reminded me of Matt except caring and gentle. I push that thought to the back of my mind and step into the hot stream of water.

After the shower I lend her some clean clothes from my wardrobe and wait in the living room. When she comes in wearing the grey jeans and loose white top, her blonde hair bouncing in waves down her back, I am rendered speechless. She's more than stunning.

"It's only a short walk from here, then we can take the bike to the coffee place down the road?" She half questions in her gorgeous accent, I follow her towards the door and out into the open.

She's right, the walk isn't particularly long but we get a little time to chat, mainly small talk but it feels natural and comfortable, like we aren't even trying. We talk about all the different places we've seen, or want to see and then we turn up at our destination.

"Home sweet home." She says in a tone which could be sarcastic but it's undistinguishable.

She stops outside a large brick flat, the brick is chipping and grey, the place has a strong smell of urine mixed with alcohol and some sort of drug. I grimace at the thought of this being Elyza's home, it seems so cold and unsafe, I try to control my facial expressions as she walks away. Just to the side of that is a small garage made of the same full brick, she disappears into it for a while before rolling out a shiny red Harley.

My jaw hits the floor "when you said bike, you meant-" I stutter.

"Yep, This is it." She says proudly. I notice that she's now got a pair of aviators on and a leather jacket and it just adds to the beauty of the scene In front of me. She rolls it closer and expertly swings her leg over the front of the bike. She pats the seat behind her and I slip on, gently placing my hands on her waist, heart racing but I can't tell if it's from being pressed against Elyza or the bike.

"You might wanna hold on tighter than that love." She grins and kicks the bike to life, it roars underneath us and soon we are flying down the streets, swerving in between traffic, everything is a blur. I miss the feeling of her warm body against mine as we pull up to the coffee shop.

It's a retro American diner style place, it's cheesy and charming all in one. Me and Elyza both order a milkshake and pancakes from the fairly rugged blonde waiter at the counter. I notice he's attractive, he has blue eyes but I'm not held by them, Elyza's have a lot more depth. I almost shake my head, he's exactly the type of guy I'd go for, but for an odd reason I can't seem to become at all infatuated with him. He must have noticed me staring in thought at him as he starts to speak.

"Hey there cute girl, see something else not on the menu you like." He smirks, like Elyza does, but it's nowhere near as captivating. I notice Elyza grinding her teeth beside me, maybe she's fed up of standing here?

"Hey, you can go sit back at the table if you want." I say gently placing my hand on her arm.

"No I'm fine here." She says dryly, fixing the man ahead of us with a steady stare.

"Can't you see the girl wants us to have some alone time?" He quips cockily, Elyza tenses even more. "In fact, how about you come to the back room with me, stop your silly friend from bothering us?" He reaches her arm across the counter as an invite. I shake my head and shuffle a little closer to Elyza, gripping her arm a bit tighter. The blonde in question fixes the other blonde with a smug smile before walking me back towards the table.

"Stupid guy." Elyza grumbles under her breath, I'm not sure I'm meant to have heard it.

"He was only teasing I'm sure." I say attempting to calm her but she looks up at me, a storm brewing behind her brilliant blue eyes.

"What if he wanted to hurt you?!" She hissed, obviously now agitated.

"I wouldn't have gone with him, you're way more fun." I add, hoping its enough to put out the blondes fire.

"Thanks Alicia." She says with a shy and embarrassed smile. The guy brings over the milkshakes and pancakes, Elyza keeps her eye on him every second he's near us. At the last minute he puts a piece of paper on the table in front of us with his number on it. Elyza stares at it so hard I think it might burst into flames, I pocket the paper, who knows, maybe in a few weeks I'll feel like calling him.

Elyza huffs and rolls her eyes. "Stupid cocky guy, I bet I could treat you better than him." She growls. My cheeks grow warm at the thought, I play it off as if the pancakes are too hot and try to make conversation to avoid the thought buzzing around my brain.

"So, I'm guessing your Australian?" I say awkwardly. Great start Alicia, way to be captain obvious. Luckily she is amused by this.

"Yeah, didn't know if you'd notice." She jokes. "Born in Australia and lived there until I was 16, moved to LA 2 years ago to follow a career in art, little did I know I'd be painting motorbikes!" She says taking a sip of her milkshake and smiling faintly. "What about you love?"

"Bit boring really, I've been in LA my entire life, in the same house, my family are wealthy, and I'm just finishing my last year of schooling, that's about it." I tell her, she raises her eyebrows and nods.

"I bet all the boys there follow you around like lost puppies!" She says chuckling and giving me a small smirk. My throat constricts when I think about Matt and I must look tense because Elyza starts apologising.

"Sorry, I'm guessing that's a bit of a delicate topic?" She almost whispers giving me a sympathetic look. I just nod and try not to gaze off or space out too much, attempting to push Matt to the back of my mind. She pats my arm and I can't help but freeze up a bit, she sighs.

"I know your probably sick of hearing 'I'm sorry' but I really am. Whatever happened shouldn't have happened to you, you don't deserve it." She says, her face only conveys honesty and I give her a smile, the comment lifted my spirits a bit and it feels like some of the pressure has been lifted.

"Thank you." I smile "You got any boys following you." I ask, attempting to alleviate any of the tension I just created.

"No, they aren't really my thing, not much luck on the girl front either." She says smirking, but behind that I can see she looks vulnerable, searching my eyes with hers to look for any sort of shock.

"Oh, that's a surprise, your very pretty." I respond, I'm straight, I've only ever had boyfriends and boy crushes but in no means have I got anything against the LGBT community. Plus it's true, Elyza is pretty. Any girl would be lucky to have her.

"Thanks."

The conversation goes backwards and forwards between us, Elyza sharing her memories of Australia, me, telling her stories of me and Mark. The subject of parents isn't breached and I am glad, there's not much to say on that front. After a good hour of chatting, she looks down at her watch.

"God Alicia it's 1:00 already, I should drive you home and then be off." She says, giving her watch a concerned glance and then looking back at me with her deep blue eyes.

"Have you got anything planned for today?" I ask before I can stop myself, something about the girl leaving makes me scared.

"No not really." She responds confusedly, in a tone waiting for an explanation.

"Do ya wanna play mini golf?" I mentally scold myself at the idea. Mini golf!? Why on earth would I suggest something so ridiculous, her confused expression gives it all away and I go to dismiss the idea when she smiles and nods.

"Let's go sweetheart."

We climb back onto the bike and I slide my arms back round Elyza's waist, we fit together perfectly and I don't once feel like I'm going to fall. I point her in the right direction every now and then but by 2:30 we arrive at the mini golf place. It's exactly as I remember it, maybe a little more worn but I can't stop the childish grin that spreads across my face, I notice Elyza glance at me and smile softly.

"Alicia ciao!, I didn't expect to see you here, you haven't come up in a while." The owner of the golf course comes trotting over, he is a rather plump Italian man with a curled moustache, I hug him, I used to come here a lot as a child and often referred to him as an uncle.

"Carlos! I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while, me and my friend would like to spend a while on the course if you wouldn't mind." I ask him, his arm still around my shoulders.

"Si leeshy-loo, your favourite course." As he says it I hear Elyza snort slightly and my cheeks start to turn red again.

He hands us two balls and clubs, says his goodbyes and and when he walks away, Elyza speaks up.

"So what's your favourite course, leeshy-loo?" She asks in a teasing voice. I laugh and gently slap her arm in mock annoyance, but the nickname coming from her makes my stomach tense up.

We turn up at the course, it's my childhood favourite, crazy gold fantasy themes, me and Elyza spend hours putting balls through castles and fake dragons. Elyza has an okay technique but I think she can do better.

"Hey lyz, you might be better if you do it like this." I stand behind her and guide her arm up, and then take a swing at the ball. I notice her blush slightly but she allows her hair to fall in front of her face.

"Lyz, huh?" She giggles.

"Well you called me leeshy so it's only fair." I quip, she nods.

"Fair game leeshy." She responds. We both give each other a content smile.

It hits 6:30 and we are still playing, Carlos has left, given me the led and told us to lock up when we leave, along with a kiss on the cheek and me and Elyza decide to grab a burger from the van next to the course and are back, sitting at the top of the hill, watching the sun set, enjoying our burgers and each others company.

"Hey Alicia, I've really enjoyed-" she's cut off by a ringing in her pocket and shoots me an apologetic glance.

"Hm, mhm, what!?" She mutters down the phone, her face becoming more and more stricken with grief. Her phone beeps, signifying the person has hung up. She stares at me, slack jawed.

"Elyza?" I question tentatively.

"My flat burned down..... I'm homeless, my belongings are gone."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elyza and Alicia decide to go back to Elyza's apartment to see what they can salvage from the wreckage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING* Mention of drug use and mild gore *WARNING*

Alicia's POV

"Elyza." I breathe. The usually cocky and self assured girl looks lost, broken and afraid, her blue eyes are clouded with shock and her body is stiff and still.

"Who in fuck had the audacity to mess with me and my property?!" She finally yells, standing up, fists clenched, grinding her jaw, blue eyes now a powerful swirling sea storm. I reach out and place a hand tentatively on her arm, she relaxes slightly but still looks tense and rightly so, I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if my house had burned down.

"Elyza I'm so sorry, that was your home, I can't imagine how you'd feel-" I start to ramble but she cuts me off with a weary sigh.

"I didn't give a damn about the house princess, it's my stuff I'm worried about." She lets out another long sigh and sits back down on the grass, pinching the bridge of her nose. Something about the blondes distress makes my own fists curl, it was either a careless accident or heartless crime that had cost Elyza her belongings and shelter.

"Stay with me." I state.

"Excuse me?" She replies, momentarily thrown off guard.

"Stay at mine, my parents aren't home." I say again, this time more confidently.

"Wowza, that sounded cheesy, if it wasn't for the circumstances I would have thought you meant something else, unless you did mean that, in which case I'd be up for some 'Netflix and chill.'" A grin had made its way back to her face and if it wasn't for the storm still brewing behind her eyes she would have been convinced everything was fine. I let out a small laugh at the Aussie and roll my eyes when she winks at me. "Thanks Alicia, I'd love to stay at yours if it is okay." She replies solemnly and I nod and reach out for her hand, she gently interlocks her fingers with mine and we walk towards the gate.

"I had a lot of fun today, minus the whole burning down of my flat thing." Elyza says, sounding almost shy, I smile at her as I work on locking the gate behind us.

"Me too."

We get on her bike and she passes me a helmet, she looks like she's about to say something but she looks apprehensive.

"Would you mind if we stopped off at my flat, I want to see if there's anything I can salvage." She asks. I look at my phone, it's getting dark and it's about 7:00, there is still light left. I nod at her and wrap my arms around her waist as she kicks the bike into action. The journey isn't particularly long, Elyza's flat isn't very far from the golf course or my own home. When we get there I only just start to realise the true extent of the damage, the block is black like charcoal and there is a cloud of dense acrid dust floating around the building. Nothing looks stable and every now and then a brick falls causing a miniature eruption of ash as it hits the ground. Elyza is tense and frowning as she surveys the scene in front of us. She shakes her head.

"I doubt there's anything to salvage from this wreck." Her voice cracks and she begins to turn.

"We can try." I say determinedly. "What floor were you on?"

She holds up two fingers and I start to briskly walk towards the burned building, as I walk to the front door Elyza grabs my wrist.

"Be careful princess, everything is delicate now."

She doesn't let go as she gently pushes the door, it falls to the ground as disturbs a layer of ash that swirls up and chokes us, we make it up the staircase coughing and spluttering, each step groaning under our weight and creaking in protest. We arrive at the door, number 13, and Elyza attempts to unlock it, like the previous door it falls off its hinges, we both cover our mouths and noses as we enter the room.

"What. The. FUCK?!" Elyza yells and kicks the wall, a large hole appears as does a fresh cloud of dust and she begins to choke again. I pull her gently away from the wall and wrap my arms around her, I can feel her heart pounding and every muscle is tense."I've been looted."

I look around the room, the floor is carpeted with a light grey ash that matches the wallpaper, it is distinctly bare except from a small dresser pressed to the wall next to a mattress with a blanket on the floor in the corner, in the opposite corner there is a small sink and toilet.

"They've taken everything! Something tells me this wasn't an accident." She growls throwing open draws of the dresser desperately. I walk cautiously over to the mattress, I grimace at the thought of Elyza sleeping here. Suddenly I hear the crunch of glass underneath my foot and I look down to see a smashed needle, my eyes fix on needles littering the floor.

"Elyza... Are you a user?" I ask cautiously. I hope desperately she isn't, my younger brother Nick is a user, he is in rehab, I don't think I could deal with almost loosing another person to drugs again.

"What? No I'm not why?" She asks, she was flipping through a leather book, possibly the only thing they left behind, and then closes it and throws it to the floor to come and join me standing by the mattress. Her face twists into one of disgust as she sees the needles.

"These aren't mine, someone's been here." She says firmly, carefully she peels back the blanket to reveal fresh sticky blood coating the material, she drops it quickly and backs away.

"I think we should leave now leeshy." She sounds frightened, I am too so I follow, as I do I pick up the book and open it quickly to see if it was anything worth keeping. Decorating the pages are the most beautiful and intricate pieces of artwork I have ever seen, there are roses and different tribal designs, panthers, pretty garden scenes. I stuff it under my flannel and tiptoe back down the creaky staircase with Elyza and back to her bike. She hands me the helmet and turns to me before we speed off.

"I can't believe the bastards took my new guitar. It was a Gibson as well!" She shakes her head and turns back around, I brace myself for take off and the bike races down the road towards my house.

Elyza's POV

The breeze whips through my hair as we speed off towards Alicia's house, I can feel her arms around my waist, looser than when she rode the bike for the first time. When we pull up I notice a car parked outside, Mark must be back. Alicia swings herself off the bike and walks up the driveway, I park the bike in the garage as Alicia tells me to and join her in the house once she's opened the door. As we walk in the house I hear a voice and freeze, Alicia does the same.

"Alicia there you are!" A middle aged woman about the same height as Alicia runs over to the brunette and embraces her in a tight hug, she has lighter brown hair and the same sort of facial features as Alicia. A man, slightly taller with dark hair, hangs back slightly and eyes me with suspicion.

"Mom? What are you doing back?" She asks, mouthing a sorry to me over her moms shoulder. She finally releases the girl and steps back.

"We got a call from the police. Mark is missing."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I should update regularly but sometimes writers block and life gets in the way.


End file.
